The subject of drugs in sports is a long way from having the airing it will eventually need.

And there could very well come a time when players like Braun, under the care of a legitimate doctor, will be allowed by MLB to use some currently banned substances as part of a rehab regimen following a real injury.

But until then, I’ll say the same thing to Braun that I would say to Alex Rodriguez:

Play by the rules ... and please stop insulting the public’s intelligence with these oh, so crafted fairy tales. 

*****

After watching the last terrific week of college hoops — including yesterday’s electric 65-62 Wisconsin overtime win against Michigan — I’m betting that come Selection Sunday, the absolutely overpowering Big 10 is sitting with four teams among the Top 10 in all the polls, and at least six in the tournament.

And if two of the six aren’t in the Final Four a few weeks later I’ll actually be surprised. 

*****

Sonny Ruberto was a terrific catcher for the powerhouse Curtis High School teams of the early 60s, good enough to make it all the way from the old Markham Houses to the big leagues.

The greatest thing about Ruberto is that he’s always been an even better person than he was a ballplayer.

That’s why so many folks on Staten Island have been asking how he’s doing after a second kidney transplant out in the St. Louis area, where he’s lived for years after being the Cardinals’ first-base coach for a while.

The answer is that Ruberto is rebounding, just like he always has.

I don’t know if Staten Island Sports Hall of Famer will be picking any runners off second base with the bases loaded the way he did in that long-ago city playoff game his teammates still like to talk about.

But he’s getting better, and that’s the important thing. 

*****

Mike Dunn, whose Monsignor Farrell team was eliminated from the SIHSL Tournament in a semis loss to St. Peter’s on Wednesday, passes the most important test as a high school basketball coach: The former Jaques Award winner’s team looked a whole lot better at the end of the season than at the beginning. 

*****

It is pitcher and catchers in Florida and a half-foot of snow on Staten Island.

That used to be a real problem back in the day.

But now you have places like Joe Schultz’s new On Deck Batting off Arthur Kill Road, where you can get some cage time and instruction no matter how unreasonable the weather gets in the Northeast. Go to OnDeckBatting.com for info. 

*****

Sounds like international soccer could be headed for real game-fixing scandal at the highest levels.